[103.1] The Privy Seal dates show the King to have been at Coventry between the 20th September and the 14th October 1456.
[103.2] John Talbot, second Earl of Shrewsbury, was appointed Treasurer on the 5th October 1456.—Patent Roll, 35 Hen. VI., p. 1, m. 16.
[346]
BOTONER TO JOHN PASTON[104.1]
To my Maister Paston.
1456(?)
OCT. 12
Please yow to wete that I hafe remembred of the langage that I hafe late lerned W. Barker had to yow and othyrs of his accomptes apposyng,[104.2] and of that they be not hole bethyn [between] ws, but yn division, &c. Sir, as I may sey yow, hyt was nevere othyrwyse, ne nevere ys lyke to be; for now they hafe do with Lowys, he that ys next shall be yn the same as he was yn gelosye; for when my maister comaundyth such as of force, by reson of her occupacion, most be nere hym, to do a message to hys felow, or question of hym, hyt shall be ymagyned amonges our felyshyp that he doth make maters to my maister. And so it ys ymagyned of me when I wryte lettres to London, to Bokkyng or Barker, that yn such maters as please hem not, then it ys my doyng; yff it take well to theyr entent, then it ys her [their] doyng. And yn gode feyth, so it was ymagyned of me and othyrs that wrote, by my maister comaundment, to Castre, to the parson of Blofeld, Geffrey Spyrlyng, and othyrs, that of such maters as was lykyng to hem and coude be sped by help of my maister frendes as by theyr solicytyng, then it was seyd that it was theyr avice, labour, and doyng. And yff the maters went not to my maister entent, ne that they coude not bryng aboute the mater, then it was imagyned and jangled that it was my wrytyng and doyng. I bare nevere my maister purs, ne condyt nevere chargeable mater alone of hys yn lawe, for my discrecion ne connyng know not whate such maters menyth. I knew nevere of oyer ne terminer, ne rad nevere patent before, ne my maister knew nevere the condyt of such thynges; and when he wrote of hys grevonse to hys frendys, he commaunded no man to be endyted, for he wyst not whate belonged to such thynges, ne the parson neyther, but remitted it to his councell lerned. There was no man gretter at hert with hym, as Andreus wyth Heydon, because of castyng Bradwell and Tychewell yn the Kynges handes, and toke awey the waarde. And I came nevere at the oyer and terminer.
By God, my maister lost c. marc by a seute of Margyt Bryg upon a defence of atteynt, because a quest passed ayenst hyr of xij. penyworth lond by yeer; and I dar sey and prefe it, my maister never spake of hyr, ne knew hyr not, ne wrote to sew hyr at the oyer and terminer, as I am remembred. Yhyt yt was well deffended, at my maister grete cost and labour, and myne pore labour also. Yhyt ought not I, ne none such yn my stede, beer the wyte [blame] wyth Sir Thomas, ne none othyr; he that takyth the tolle most take the charge, hyt ys hys negligence that wille take the labour more then he may awey. I wold the parson ys wellfare asmoch as man lyvyng, to my wreched power; and yff, or when, ye hyre onye froward ymagynacions, I pray yow gefe no credence tille ye hyre it aunsuerd. I am eased of my spyrytes now that I hafe expressed my leude [ignorant] menyng, because of my felow Barker, as of such othyr berkers ayenst the mone, to make wysemen laugh at her foyle. Our Lord kepe yow.
Wryt at Castre the xij. day of October. Your W. Botoner.
I hafe and do purchasse malgre to remembre of evidenses lakkyng by negligence, &c. And therfor I most be muet and suffre gretter losses but [unless] it be othyrwyse concydered. I sende yow the copie of your patentes,[105.1] in parchement, and I hafe remembred as well as I can both the stuard and Bertilmeu Elys for execucion ayenst the pleggs of your seyntuarye, carpenter (?) Snow, that evere ys disposed to breke promysses. Foryefe me of my leude lettre wrytyng, and I pray yow laugh at it.
[104.1] [From Paston MSS., B.M.] The date of this letter is uncertain, but must be between the years 1454 and 1459, when Botoner was at Caister. Bocking and Barker seem to have been in London at the time, which we know was the case in February 1456; and as we have evidence that Bocking at least was still there in October, we may perhaps attribute this letter to the October of 1456.